Capito tackles cyber bullying

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito wants to bring stakeholders to the table and start a dialogue to deal with cyber bullying. Capito is a mother and grandmother and worries about the prevalence of online behavior among children.

“It’s pretty prevalent because it’s so easy,” Capito said Tuesday on MetroNews Talkline. “The internet is a faceless communication and it doesn’t take the courage it does to bully face to face. The other thing is it’s occurring in much younger children, in middle school and even into the elementary school.”

Capito sat down for a closed door discussion with Kanawha County school officials Tuesday afternoon. The meeting involved administrators form a number of county schools, some students, and a representative of Facebook who recommended protocols for dealing with reports of cyber bullying.

“As a mom and a grandmother I think about technology and I wonder, ‘How do we deal with this issue?'” Capito said.

The Charleston meeting is one of several Capito plans to have across the district. She’s planning future meetings in the eastern panhandle and in Lewis County to get input from school officials there who’ll share their experiences and how they have dealt with the matter in the past.

“I think it’s an issue people are really interested in,” she said. “There’s no set answer here.”

Chris Lawrence

Chris Lawrence is the anchor of the MetroNews Morning News, heard weekday mornings from 6-9 a.m. on MetroNews stations across West Virginia. Chris is also the host of the award-winning West Virginia Outdoors, heard Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. across the network. Chris has won numerous awards for coverage of hunting and fishing.

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Comments

Monica

Cyberbullying is a very serious issue that has led several teens to suicide. It takes a real coward to hide behind a keyboard and attack someone else. This type of thing can ruin someone's reputation. I know some people claim sticks and stones but not everyone sees the world that way and I have heard horror stories of not just children having problems due to this vicious form of bullying but people losing their jobs and marriages. This stuff is a big deal and is not what was meant by the first amendment. If you can't say it to someone's face, it shouldn't be said. The problem also stems that if someone is attacked on a website it usually goes out into the google search engines. If a potential employer read it, it could destroy you even if you don't go on those types of websites. There have been more and more people arrested for it and they should. If someone claims you are a drug user, pedofile, cheated on your spouse, etc and it is not true, no one has a right to do that. There are some things that are common sense. A website called Topix is probably the worst of these offenders. I support what she is doing as a parent.

December 19, 2013 at 10:48 am |

Aaron

What the h*** is cyber bullying and how is one found guilty. If I call you an idiot and you don't like it, don't interact with me.

It really is that simple. Somewhere, someone got their panties in a bunch and have somehow concluded that they have a right to not be offended.

What a load of ...

December 18, 2013 at 4:18 pm |

Hammer

Yesterday, she was busy. In addition to tackling cyber bullying, she also voted to put the screws to military members and veterans. However, she was not alone as every WV elected parasite voted the same.

December 18, 2013 at 7:34 am |

RogerD

I believe McKinley voted against this bill. You are correct though that ALL the other ones did. I assume you are talking about the budget bill that cuts pension benefits to veterans, including those disabled and wounded in combat.

December 18, 2013 at 11:20 am |

Hammer

RogerD: You are correct. Military retirement is earned and not a handout. I invested 20+ years. Nowadays, it seems I'd be better off being a non-working, multi-generational, recipient on the government doll and getting paid for sitting on my a** doing and not having done anything to earn it.

December 18, 2013 at 11:46 am |

D.P.

RogerD-I don't know if you realize it, but Shelley IS a Republican. And like ALL Republicans, I'm sure she is absolutely sick the way this Democratic Administration HAS USED the IRS and the NRA to achieve their political objectives. Sadly, many of Obummer's Dem FLUNKIES are right there with him in doing ANYTHING it takes to attain their disgusting goals!!!

As with ALL of the SOCIALIST in Chief's Scandals, this Administration and its LEMMINGS lie, withhold information and are absolutely noncompliant in cooperating during REPUBLICAN hearings! This deceitfulness pertains not only to the IRS and NRA, but also to Benghazi, Fast and Furious and ALL of the other "Phony Scandals" (as the POTUS calls them!!!).

I would highly advise you to do your homework before making such idiotic comments in the future!!!

December 17, 2013 at 7:15 pm |

RogerD

D.P. I do realize which party Shelley aligns herself with but that doesn't mean anything when she and others like McCain, McConnell, Boehner, and now Ryan give in and give up when the stakes are so high. These RINO's that pretend to be conservative are every bit as harmful to our country as the socialists now in control. At least they (the socialists) make it clear where they stand and what their agenda really is.

I certainly don't need lectures from the likes of you that are still living in the past. Today's Republican Party needs cleaned out. They are not believers in the Constitution, limited government, or the rule of law. They are there for themselves and if you can't see it, then you are blind.

Shelley voted to fund and fully support the NSA even after the allegations surfaced they were seizing everyone's phone and internet communications. Shelly has never suggested a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate this, Benghazi, the IRS, Fast and Furious, or any of the Obama scandals. What exactly has she done that would be a reason to earn any intelligent person's vote?

December 17, 2013 at 10:13 pm |

WVIRGINIAN FOR LIFE

I bet if we could put the families of those killed at Benghazi, or the agents killed as a result of Eric Holder's gun mess, we would know for know for certain that Obama and his cronies either failed to protect us, participated in the damage control collusion or mastered the cover up, they would have plenty to tell us, that being TRUTH about it all. He's not my president and never will be. Oh and by the way, I have no respect for Hillary Clinton either after she endorsed the cover up.

December 17, 2013 at 8:35 pm |

WVIRGINIAN FOR LIFE

“The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.” Quote from Eric Schmidt

There are as many disadvantages as advantages to the internet. You can place an order for any product from your sofa and have it delivered. But you can also create chaos, grief or injury with a few keystrokes. It's obvious that more cyber laws are appropriate that will not infringe on our freedom of speech. Get it done.

December 17, 2013 at 3:05 pm |

MTNR

Hoppy HEARTS Crapito.

December 17, 2013 at 2:21 pm |

WVIRGINIAN FOR LIFE

Facebook rep was in attendance?? They have contributed to the problem by continuing to make it difficult to report abusive users and their long delay in responding to a report once a user finds the path to do so. Have you ever tried to contact FBook direct? It is impossible.

December 17, 2013 at 2:04 pm |

RogerD

She's probably including FB in the discussions so she get a campaign donation. That's all she really cares about.

I'd be more impressed if she was working to stop her colleagues from bullying her constituents using agencies like the IRS and the NSA.